Time to put your Delray home on the market? You’ve put a lot of time, energy, and love into your home, and you deserve to get the best price for it. In today’s competitive market, you can’t ignore the power of online marketing to reach the right potential buyers and effectively show off your home. When you know the right way to market your home online, you can increase your chances of selling it quickly and for the price you want. These five tips will help you get started.
Prepare Your Home for the Market
Before you even begin to think about marketing your home, you’ll need to get it ready to go on the market first. That means doing a
major decluttering and moving much of your belongings to storage. Preparing your home for the market also includes fixing or replacing anything that’s broken, removing personal effects like family photos or keepsakes, and doing a deep clean. Many homeowners choose to have professional cleaners come in to do a thorough job and ensure their home is spotless for potential buyers. If it’s in your budget, you may also want to upgrade outdated appliances, remove stained or shabby carpet, and have a professional stager arrange your belongings to highlight the strengths of your home.
You also need to take some time enhancing your home’s curb appeal by manicuring the lawn and shrubbery, staging the front porch with attractive outdoor furniture, and making sure the driveway and walk are free of clutter and in good repair. If you’re selling an apartment or condo, pay attention to the hallways leading up to your door and consider hanging a festive wreath or another piece of décor on the front door to welcome potential buyers.
Get Professional Pictures Taken
Photos are the bait that will lead potential buyers to your home, and
you need good photos to entice people to attend open houses or request showings. It’s always worth it to spend the money to have professional photos taken by a photographer who has experience shooting homes for the market. A pro will know the right angles for taking photos (lower is usually better), how to best use both natural and artificial light to the best effect, and how to make each room appear larger. Pros also have high-end cameras and other equipment that are naturally suited to home photography. Though you can list your home with some photos you take with your phone or personal camera, investing in a professional photographer almost always pays for itself since it leads to quicker and sometimes higher offers.
Write Appealing Descriptions
Think of writing about your home like writing sales copy. Your goal is to enhance your home’s “resume” as much as possible to get potential buyers interested. Focus on what you and your family have loved best about the home, and then ask frequent guests to your home what their favorite aspects are. Make sure you include important basics like square footage, upgrades, notes on the location, and the number of bedrooms and baths, of course, but these are just the basics. Your
copy should also include:
- A catchy headline with plenty of descriptive words. The headline should evoke a positive emotion in those who read it.
- An opening statement describing key features such as ‘a spacious condo with a spectacular view’ or ‘private backyard with gorgeous landscaping.’
- Use adjectives that have been proven to sell, such as impeccable, captivating, and luxurious.
- Don’t use words that could indicate work. If you describe your home as one that has ‘potential’ or is a ‘bargain,’ potential buyers may view it as a money pit.
- Include nearby amenities. Those who look at your house are not only searching for a home — they’re also looking for a community. Highlight nearby attractions like parks, walking trails, shopping, or schools.
List on Major Real Estate Websites
Now that your listing is ready to go, it’s time to introduce it to the world! Do your research to find out which sites in your area get the most traffic. Take some time to learn about each listing site and any specifications for how to make your home stand out or be listed in the correct areas. If you work with a realtor, they’ll be able to list it on the MLS or their own customized searchable site. You may also want to list it on popular sites like Zillow or Trulia. Some of these sites may charge, while others are free. The more potential buyers you can reach with your listing, the better.
Share on Social Media
Announce to all your friends and relatives that your home is now for sale by posting on your social media platforms. Though they may not be in the market to buy, they’re likely to share the listing either on their own pages or with those they know who are interested. You can get a lot of reach out of a free posting on Facebook or Instagram and attract buyers who want to know more about your home. If you work with a realtor, he or she can also run Facebook ads to target the exact demographic who are in a position to buy your home. For a small investment, you can get your home’s description and pictures in front of thousands of potential buyers who wouldn’t have known about it otherwise.
Though it is possible to prepare and list your home by yourself, most people selling a home find that it’s easier and more effective to work with a real estate agent who can guide them through the process and make sure each step is followed to precision. If you’re ready to team up with a south Florida team that utilizes the latest online tools to market your home and is dedicated to delivering results, call
The Jessica Gulick team. They can sell your Delray home fast and for the best possible price.
